


heartache on the big screen

by daybreaking



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: Angst, Camren - Freeform, F/F, Fluff, Norminah, and, i dont see why not lol, idk really, its been hiding in my drafts for years now, so like it needs to see the sun, this is like
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 19:58:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15979403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daybreaking/pseuds/daybreaking
Summary: A groundbreaking movie about LGBT representation in Hollywood brings lead actress-producer Lauren Jauregui to her co-actress and leading lady, Camila Cabello.two-shot au // (written in 2016/17).





	heartache on the big screen

**Author's Note:**

> This is supposed to be a oneshot I made years ago when I was still actively part of the 5h fandom but never got around to posting it. Also, I was getting worried with how long it was becoming (12k words w/o having written the ending yet?) so I decided to half it into a twoshot to make it less of an eyesore. Keep in mind that I wrote this years ago so the references and character ideals probably don't align to the present circumstances.

"This is not going to work," the actress-slash-producer sighs exasperatedly as she looks over the script, shaking her head. She is currently sat in her styling room, facing the mirror as her stylist starts to apply makeup to her face. One of the writers and directors had come into the room to submit the script to her and she found it to be such a shame that they're even writing it like this. "I told you, I want POC representation in this movie," she says sternly. "Not another predominantly white one."

"We just have trouble finding costars who are people of color, Ms. Jauregui," Greg, the director, says.

Lauren shoots him a deadly glare in the mirror, her mouth curling into a frown. "Trouble?" she repeats incredulously, unable to believe her ears. "We have a shit ton of underrated, talented, young people of color who would be more than willing to join a project that promotes diversity and doesn't limit them to stereotypes." She scowls at them. "I have made it very clear what I wanted to see out of this movie before I made terms, Mr. Greg."

"But underrated artists don't sell, Ms. Jauregui—"

"Do I look like I'm using these minorities for money, Mr. Johnson?" Lauren bellows in an instant, shooting him an even deadlier glare. "Our aim is to spread awareness, not be disrespectful just for the sake of getting coins!"

The director just hangs his head low as well as the writer in tow whom Lauren recognizes are Mr. Bradley. The two of them are like those movie geniuses who can probably create a billion-dollar blockbuster in just a minute, but if they aren't willing to give Lauren the damn POC and LGBT representation she wants then they can kiss her production away. They know the only reason they're getting funding for this movie is because Lauren agreed to being the lead star and producing it.

Doing that also meant giving her a fair share of how she wants the movie to turn out. Being an out-and-proud bisexual woman in this industry has taught her several things about how the gears work around here. Most of the time, people claiming to make films and TV shows with LGBT and POC characters don't even bring them justice. Lauren, as a proud bisexual Cuban woman, takes a lot of offense in this.

As someone who is one of the hottest (and she also means famous) young actresses in Hollywood, who also happens to be really vocal about her sexuality and social issues, filmmakers know that the fastest way to get a billion-dollar box office nowadays is to get Lauren Jauregui to star in your movie. Yet, the girl has been so tired of having to portray heterosexual girls that she wants to bring more visibility to the other sexualities and actually do it justice this time.

"We understand, Ms. Jauregui," Greg says in a low voice and nods. "We will be looking into some POC actors and actresses who are willing to audition," he adds promisingly. "We will send you the details concerning it."

Lauren sighs as her stylist now starts to design her hair, nodding at the duo behind her. "Post it on Twitter, too," she advises them before they leave. "I've seen some very promising POC artists there."

"Noted, Ms. Jauregui," the man says with another nod before hurrying away with Mr. Bradley. Lauren watches as the door closes before closing her eyes to relax. She can hear her stylist chuckling in amusement and she opens her eyes to give her a confused look.

"What are you laughing about, Shiela?" she asks with a weird glance at the girl through the mirror.

The stylist just hums and looks at the mirror to see if this kind of hairstyle fits her. "You scare them a hella' lot," she comments, brushing Lauren's hair again. "It's so funny to watch."

Lauren just pulls a goofy smile to her lips as she watches the woman move to her makeup kit and bring out the  _machine_. Yes, the eyelash curler. The actress' eyes widen in horror at its appearance, giving her stylist a terrified look while trying to shrink back into her chair as far as possible.

Shiela laughs. "But you're actually just a little puppy who's scared of an eyelash curler," she teases. Lauren starts making shrieking noises while trying to avoid the machine, waving her hands in front of her to keep the stylist away. The woman just laughs in amusement and settles her down.

"That's Lauren Jauregui, for you."

-

The first audition Greg and Bradley held was unproductive as ever. Lauren was actually convinced they weren't even putting some effort into it until they had this tall girl walk into the room with a shy smile on her youthful face. As soon as Lauren saw her she was pretty sure she was one of the people they were looking for.

"Hi, what's your name?" Lauren asks her kindly from their table. The girl stands in the middle of the audition room and shifts awkwardly. "Oh, don't be afraid, babe. We don't bite." The actress smirks playfully.

The newcomer chuckles nervously into her mic. "Sorry, it's just... I'm really nervous right now. I'm Dinah Jane Hansen," she says, smiling. "I'm a big fan of you, Ms. Jauregui."

"Please." Lauren grins. "Just call me Lauren."

"Okay, so..." Greg drawls out as he looks over some papers. "You're here to audition for whose role again?" he asks her.

Lauren rolls her eyes, knowing full well that even they haven't finalized the characters yet. Greg is just trying to intimidate her, maybe. "Greg, just let her do a few takes based on some genres," she tells him. "I see some talent in this girl and you're not about to mess it up for me."

Immediately as soon as Lauren tells him to, he retracts his question and just tells the girl to act a few scenes from a script they hand to her. She manages to carry them out flawlessly, although Lauren can notice that her nervousness sometimes gets in the way of her acting. Nonetheless she is perfect. Lauren knows this.

"From what descent are you?" Lauren asks her as soon as her takes end. The girl, Dinah, looks at her in confusion for a moment before happily responding, "Polynesian!"

And Lauren knew they were definitely going to cast her.

The next girl they find is a particularly stunning black woman named Normani on the fifth day of auditions. She admitted to traveling all the way from Houston upon hearing the news of a casting, really excited to hear that people were actually going to make a movie that revolves around the representation of minorities and addressing actual issues. Lauren immediately fell in love with the girl's ardency and couldn't wait for them to hire her.

They did a few takes, and Lauren knows it is just for formality, because even Greg and Bradley noticed how incredibly enthusiastic Lauren is about this new cast. They decided to give her this treat and watched as the young actress munched on it so happily.

Normani and Dinah were only two of the several people of color and LGBT actors and actresses they have managed to scout during auditions, but they are the ones who definitely stuck with Lauren because of the fact that she saw their auditions for herself. After the fifth day of auditions, Lauren had to excuse herself from attending the succeeding ones because she still had some other business to do that involved interviews and going on shows.

Greg and Bradley still gave her updates about the auditions, all of which she gladly appreciated. She can tell that even they're working hard now. That alone makes her really happy. Dinah and Normani have become quite close to her as well. She found out that the two are literal soulmates because they like almost every same damn thing. The enthusiasm rubs off on Lauren not long after when they got to have the actress' number and spammed her with a new group chat.

It seemed like a childish idea at first but Lauren eventually got roped into the chat as well. She realized that the two are actual joys to be with, with their Beyoncé pictures and voice notes that bragged the vocal abilities Lauren didn't know, but was pleased to know, they possessed. Lauren didn't back down either as she sent some of her own.

Despite auditions going on for more than a week now, Lauren still hasn't found a costar that will serve as her leading lady in the film. The movie itself is pretty risky as it is, and Lauren had taken the initiative of assuming the lead role since people would be too chicken to even do so. But the role of her character's love interest is just as risky as the lead. It would take someone like Lauren to actually take up on the roll and not be ashamed or weirded out.

And as far as Lauren knows, she is the only one like Lauren in this world. That's why she's so famous. No one has ever been like her.

She is in the process of trying to convince her long term friend Ally Brooke to star in her film, probably even as a costar, since she is an actress herself as well. The only problem is that Ally is so straight it physically pains Lauren to even think about it. But Ally is Hispanic and open to the LGBTQ+ community. If they aren't finding that costar, Ally will have to be that costar.

"Allyson," Lauren whines. They are currently in the older girl's trailer in the set of her cameo appearance in some music video. Lauren just decided to pay a visit to coax the girl into starring for her film.

The older actress only kinks an eyebrow at her as her stylist gives her a retouch.

"Ally," Lauren tries again. "You know you're one of the closest friends I have in this industry." She pouts. "And one of the only few who aren't fake," she whispers the last part with a frown.

Ally can't stop a laugh from escaping her lips at the girl's tidbit, raising her hand to signal her stylist that she won't need retouching yet. She tells the girl to give them some time alone and she nods before silently exiting the trailer. The older actress then stands up to get a bottle of water from the fridge.

Lauren looks at her expectantly, watching as she gets a straw for her drink. "So...?" she prompts, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Lauren, I'll have you know that what you're doing is incredibly amazing," Ally starts after she takes a sip from her water. "Not everyone has the courage to make a movie like that nowadays. I'm extremely honored that you've come to me with it," she says.

"Okay, but are you doing it?" Lauren gives her a look. As much as she loves Ally, she really wants to know if the girl is up to the role as soon as possible. She's getting so stressed out over how hard it actually is to find a costar for this film.

Ally sighs, flipping her hair over her shoulder before taking a seat on one of the couches. "Laur, I have a lot of other projects in my hands right now," she says apologetically with a sad smile. "The current movie I'm filming requires me to go to Italy for two months and then another three in Madrid. It's like I'm going on a freaking world tour."

Lauren laughs at the actress' effort not to curse.

"I have reality shows, TV series... the list could go on." Ally sighs a bit sadly. "As much as I'd like to be in your film, I can't be more than just a minor role, Lauren. Besides, wouldn't it be counterproductive to have a straight woman act in a movie about the LGBT community?" She smiles, shrugging. "The gays might come after me."

Lauren pouts once more. Ally is right, but she wanted to take the risk anyways. What she loves about the girl is that she's always right and she's always nice. Even when she's turning her down.

"Allyson Brooke... we both know that if I stared at you too long with my smoldering gaze you'd hop over to the winning side immediately," the younger girl jokes lightheartedly, feeling light when the other girl's eyes just twinkle playfully as she threatens to spit the water in her mouth out at the younger actress.

Lauren leaves Ally's trailer that day with the girl's promise of being a minor role in her movie. It isn't the lead role but Lauren's happy the girl is even helping. She makes sure to send Ally a cheesy message consisting of a lot of kiss face emojis and hearts that night to show the girl "what's she's missing out on."

Ally just replies to her with a cactus.

-

Around four months into the first stage of production, the staff has already developed a much better plot for the movie which delighted Lauren greatly. They are actually incorporating the stuff she asked them to concerning real life issues and it is safe to say that everything is perfect along with the accurate cast they have put up.

If it weren't missing one crucial factor: Lauren's costar.

"Four months," Lauren groans exasperatedly as she looks at her can of ginger ale. "Four months of auditions and we still can't find that damn costar," she complains to no one in particular. Dinah and Normani are in her hotel room creating a ruckus with their phones and Beyoncé playlists. Lauren doubts they're even listening. "You know what? We could be making a really great revolutionary plot at this point but it would still go down the drain if we don't find that fucking costar."

"Did you say something, Jauregui?" Normani yells over the inexplicably loud track of Partition. Dinah hops off the bed and gets into formation before starting to twerk without an ounce of care in the actress' concerns. Lauren just looks at the duo with blank eyes and a small pout.

She sighs. "I was just talking about how we are still as good as nothing without my freaking nonexistent costar," she answers, shaking her head. "First of all, how  _hard_  is it to find a woman of color who is at least open to the LGBT?" Lauren runs a hand through her hair in frustration. "Not hard at all! Where are these women hiding, I swear? I swear, they're conspiring against me."

"Conspiring?" Dinah stops her twerking to look at Lauren with wide eyes. "Are we talking about conspiracy theories now?" she asks excitedly. "I read this one conspiracy theory one Twitter that's pretty famous. About Avril Lavigne being—"

Lauren gives her a look that silences her. "That was so fucking dumb and we all know it, Dinah," she says with narrowed eyes.

"But it was pretty funny though," the other girl replies with a pout. "It's like Demi and Poot."

"That one, too."

Normani just laughs and changes the song into one that makes Dinah twerk again – Crazy in Love. Lauren shakes her head to herself with a small laugh as Normani joins in, taking a sip from her carbonated drink while looking at the glass panel. She is about to get dragged by Normani and Dinah into their twerking mess when someone knocks on the door. Lauren wonders why they even knocked when they were just gonna barge in without waiting for an invitation anyways.

Lauren finds Greg and Bradley walk into the room, making her furrow her brows in response. It's not usual for the two not to ring her up before coming to her hotel. The fact that it's happening right now confuses the actress.

She stands up from her seat and faces them with questioning eyes. "What is this?" she asks them curiously, looking at their appearances searchingly. They seem to be empty of motive, except for the giddy smile that's threatening to break out into Bradley's face as Greg takes the gears from here.

"We've found her, Ms. Jauregui," Greg says, and that's all it takes for Lauren to shut up and widen her eyes when the realization sinks in. They've found her? The costar they've been looking for, for four months now? Lauren doesn't know how to feel. She must have been in shock or something. She can't believe her ears. This is the best news she's received so far. The two girls with her remain unfazed and even change the song on the speakers to a new one.

"In fact, she's going to come here right now to meet you. Her team told us she wants to get acquainted with her costars first before signing into the deal," Greg adds, shocking Lauren once more. Her costar is coming here? In her hotel room? When two girls are busy twerking their asses off on her bed and she hasn't put on her best makeup? What kind of impromptu crap is this?

Before she can even respond, someone knocks and comes into the room behind Greg and Bradley without waiting, obviously finding the open door invitation as it is. The new intruder is quite short so Lauren can only see their head from where she stands, shuffling around behind the two until they put a hand on Greg's arm.

"Is this Ms. Lauren Jauregui's room?" the raspy voice asks softly, making Lauren's ears perk up at the sound. "I was supposed to meet her today— oh, hey! Mr. Greg and Mr. Bradley!"

When Greg turns to his side to greet the girl, Lauren sees her. She is wearing a white Maxi dress and a pair of round metal classic Ray-Bans on her eyes— the same kind that Lauren has in her drawer right now. She's carrying a white Saint Laurent bag on her arm that she keeps outstretched while she pulls each of the men into a small hug of formality with her other arm. She has brown hair that is parted in the middle and falls into long waves on her chest.

Should we mention the way her petite body is curving on all the right places so perfectly? From where Lauren stands she can see how wide the woman's hips are and how accentuated her backside is. Even Normani and Dinah stops their twerking session to look at the girl in shock.

"Ms. Cabello, we're so glad you came," Greg's voice says chirpily and Lauren cringes at how he actually sounds like a schoolboy with a crush.

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Johnson. Mr. Smith." The woman nods at Bradley with a smile, who returns it so enthusiastically; just like how Greg did. "I was actually just having brunch with a friend nearby. I know I said I'd be texting you before I would come but the thought completely passed my mind."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Ms. Cabello!" Greg brushes it off with a grin, his cheeks tinted pink now. Lauren tries not to look too disgusted at the sight of the man blushing. She shakes her head, hearing the name being addressed to the girl for the second time now and furrowing her brows in intrigue.

She takes a step forward to the trio. "Wait... did you just say Cabello?" Lauren asks her director, eyes darting between Greg and the woman in front of her who has now taken interest in the new face. "Cabello, that's what you said, right?" the green-eyed girl quizzes the man.

But it's the girl who responds with a nod. "Yes, Cabello," she says with a smile. Lauren thinks her smile is nice but she also wonders why she hasn't taken off her glasses yet. "That's me."

"Are you, by any chance... Cuban?" the actress asks the newcomer with curious eyes. The other just nods her head to the question and the smile never leaves her face when Lauren catches on her ethnicity. The affirmative answer shocks Lauren, and then excites her. "Oh, my God!" the girl gasps with a grin afterwards, covering her mouth with her hand in excitement. "Well, I'm Cuban, too!"

Ms. Cabello grins back at her and now takes off her sunglasses. Lauren doesn't think she's ever seen eyes so intensely brown as she has. It makes her bright green ones shrink in fear slightly. But the best asset to that face is her grin and how it kind of singlehandedly brightens up the entire room. Lauren doesn't hesitate to reach out her hand for the other girl to take.

"Lauren Jauregui. I'm pleased to meet you," the young actress greets breathily as she continues staring into the girl's eyes.

"Camila Cabello. And I know who you are," the now-named girl laughs gently while shaking Lauren's hand. "It's hard not to when you're famous all around the world."

"Oh, please." Lauren rolls her eyes in good nature as they both drop their cordial handshake. "If we're going to be working together, you're not going to address me as more than Lauren. That's it." She grins at her and gives a small wink.

Camila bites on her lip (quite sultrily to Lauren, really) before smiling. "A charmer, I see," she chuckles out. "But just so you know..." she trails off with a smirk, "I haven't said yes to the deal yet." And now she's the one to send a particularly playful wink at the other before saying that she has to go. She tells Greg, Bradey, and Lauren that her team will be reaching concerning the contract deal before blowing the two men a kiss and sauntering her way out of the hotel room, her hips having an extra sway to them.

But not before she tells Normani and Dinah, "That's 7/11, right? I've been trying to twerk to that song since forever."

And just like that, with her swaying hips and round metal Ray-bans, Camila Cabello has just won the hearts of five people under the span of five minutes.

A total fucking charmer, that's what she is.

"Isn't that great, Lauren?" Ally asks her with a cheerful voice over the phone. Lauren had called her on the night she met Camila Cabello because she was so freaking surprised that such a girl even existed. It felt like a new experience to be able to encounter someone like that. "You've finally found a costar for your film!" Ally continues happily.

"Well, yeah..." Lauren trails off with a shrug as she paces back and forth in her hotel room. "It's pretty great."

"And not to mention that it's Camila Cabello," the girl on the other end says with voice filled with wonder. " _The_  Camila Cabello."

"The Camila Cabello?" Lauren asks, puzzled.

"Oh, my God, Lauren! You don't know her?" Ally gasps.

"Obviously..."

"She's, like, really famous in Latin America! The Nation's Princess, I think. I think that's what they call her." Lauren can practically hear Ally going on to her gossip formation with her legs tucked underneath her as she starts to talk more interestedly. "Every person... down to the very last baby in Latin America knows her."

"Huh." Lauren chuckles to herself at how bizarre it sounded. "How come I never knew of her?"

"I don't know but, to be honest? You're definitely missing out."

"Wow. Thanks, Ally. That was such a big help."

"I'm just saying!"

Lauren searches Camila Cabello up on Google that night, looking into her biography and every little thing about her (well, at least every little thing Wikipedia provides). She even tracks down the girl's social media platforms and does her fair share of investigating her... which only consisted of trying so hard not to accidentally like tweets and Instagram pictures posted weeks before.

Lauren is intrigued. Lauren is excited. Most of all, Lauren wants Camila Cabello to sign that damn contract already.

-

When Charming Princess Cabello shows up to the set a week after signing the contract deal, she shocks Lauren with how much she already knows about everything. It's as if her being a natural born charmer wasn't enough to win everyone's damn hearts, she also has to be really independent and responsible when it comes to her acting. She asks for the script, reads over the material, before looking at Lauren straight in the eye and telling her to come closer.

Lauren awkwardly obliges. She's not used to people bossing her around.

"I might have to warn you, Jauregui," Camila starts as she looks at Lauren in the eye. The eye contact makes Lauren miss the hand that has crept up to the back of her neck, before Camila pulls her down with enough force and practically rests their foreheads together. Lauren freezes, eyes wide at the proximity, and Camila gives her a smirk. "I might overwhelm you. I get so into my character sometimes," she whispers.

When she lets go of Lauren's neck to go and join a gaping Normani and Dinah, that's when Lauren feels like she can breathe again. She takes deep breaths, still quite dizzy from the interaction, before whistling in amusement.

 _Dammit_ , Lauren shakes her head to herself as she watches Camila from afar nibbling on her lower lip while looking over the script,  _she's way into her character already._

In the film, Camila will be playing a proud and charming lesbian named Laura who never had trouble with her sexuality while Lauren plays this closeted bisexual named Cameron. It will be centered on Lauren's character and her struggles of being a closeted bisexual woman of color in college and life in general. She meets her friends Nadia (Dinah) and Dianne (Normani) in college, and she started to doubt her sexuality back in junior high when she realized that she was attracted to her straight best friend, Alaina (Ally).

But the romantic links aren't what made the movie  _the movie_ ; it's the entirety of its message. It involved other political and social issues at the same time addressing the constant struggles the LGBT community still face by throwing in scenes involving Cameron's conflicting feelings with Laura and her fear of committing publicly. It isn't a cheesy romance film that obviously ends in a happy ending. It involves a lot of fighting, arguing, tears, and screaming. Lauren had said beforehand that she wants this to be as realistic as it can get.

Camila is a freaking gem to work with. Lauren now understands why Ally and the entire Latin America had dubbed her the Nation's Princess because the girl literally is. Scenes with Camila come so easily because she adapts so well with her character and memorizes her lines a day before that they barely have errors while filming her. Her ability to do a 180 onscreen is extremely astounding. Lauren doesn't think she'll ever have a costar as amazing as Camila after this.

"Good work today," Lauren opens up a conversation when they finish filming for the day. She is just making sure all of her stuff are inside her bag now while Normani and Dinah stay inside the set to do some behind the scenes bloopers of some sort. Camila had followed her not long after, her bag placed next to Lauren's although there was still some measurable distance between them.

"Thanks," the other girl replies with a small smile, taking her script and putting it inside her bag. "Amazing acting on the gay panic as well," she comments, Lauren finding the term amusing as she lets out a laugh.

"Cameron will surely be having a lot more episodes like those in the future," she says with a smile as she shuffles for her cellphone inside the bag.

Camila just giggles and loops her arm through the bag's handles, letting it loosely hang on the inside of her elbow now. "And Laura will keep waiting patiently for her to be able to accept that part of herself," she says with another smile at Lauren, who finally locates her phone with a successful grin. "She will accept that part of herself, right?" Camila asks curiously.

"Oh, yeah." Lauren nods as she taps away on her phone, sending Ally a thank you message about her special cameo appearance in her film. The girl is probably in Italy now, like she said. "She will, eventually. After, maybe, ten in-school rallies and a hundred more flattering words from Laura. She'll break." Lauren grins.

Camila just chuckles in relief. "Good, then," she says, giving the girl a civil nod. "It would probably suck being a phase for someone to experiment on."

And with that, Camila Cabello leaves again with that signature sway of her hips. But this time, Lauren doesn't watch her with awe. She watches her with a question and an annoying feeling in her stomach.

A phase, huh?

Lauren sighs to herself as she plops down onto her hotel bed that night. She and Camila have never really gotten past the professional aspect of their relationship. They greet each other in set in between Starbucks coffees and donut breakfasts, compliment each other on a good job at the end of the day, and then leave for their individual lives. They have never gone past that. It's like Lauren doesn't even know her costar aside from her name.

With Normani and Dinah, it's different, because they're literally very talkative people who remind Lauren of her younger sister with how shamelessly amusing they can get. Camila is more closed off, distant, and doesn't really join cast gatherings unless everyone eggs her to join.

But everything has got to start somewhere, right?

Lauren groans to herself as she shakes away her doubts, taking the risk of sending Camila a message that night asking her some lame question.

Is banana still banana in Spanish? That was the question.

Surprisingly enough, Camila had replied not too long after, saying that as acceptable and safe as banana is, she's always preferred using  _platano_  more. Lauren just smiles goofily to herself at the fact that Camila is actually talking to her other than hi's and good job's. This might actually be progress.

And it was. Because when Cameron and Laura had a particularly intimate scene that consisted of them spooning on a small couch, Lauren had so discreetly whispered the words into the girl's ear while they got ready for a take, "Banana is still banana in Spanish."

She could sense Camila tense in front of her. The girl was probably ready to engage in an argument with her if it weren't for the director yelling "Action!" and forcing them both to stay in character.

Camila firmly believes that using banana to refer to a banana in Spanish is a cheat. She even makes this Twitter poll asking her followers to choose between banana and platano. Having a lot of Hispanic followers gives her an advantage but Lauren perseveres.

She tweets Camila her unwavering stand on bananas that night, and for some reason she didn't know a simple tweet could earn her a follow from all of the girl's social media accounts.

And yes, Camila likes an Instagram post of hers from weeks ago.

From then on, her relationship with Camila only skyrockets. They've been texting more often now, and Lauren doesn't hesitate to screenshot Camila's snaps whenever she sends a particularly goofy one. Camila always gives her shit whenever she threatens to post the picture but nonetheless continues to send embarrassing selfies anyways. Lauren doesn't post them as a token of her friendship with the girl. Pictures like these should be for her eyes only.

Although most of their friendship is virtually crafted, the two aren't much different in person. They are more professional and tamed, but they still manage to slip several playful antics in between. Lauren remembers when they were about to do a second take and she gave Camila a face that looked just like the last ugly snap she sent. The staff had to stall the second take because Camila chased Lauren around with a slipper and malevolent threats.

"One day from now, I really will kill you," Camila says to Lauren as they both sit on their chairs during break. Lauren is sipping from her water bottle with a straw, giving the girl a side glance. "And why would that be?" she asks with a chuckle.

"Because you're annoying," Camila answers, but Lauren sees the small, amused curl of her lips as soon as the words leave her mouth. The smaller girl's stylist comes to give her a retouch, Shiela coming as well to give Lauren her own.

"Because I'm annoying," the other actress repeats happily as her stylist dabs an amount of powder to her face. "Very vague term. It could be annoyingly cute, annoyingly beautiful, annoyingly whatever."

"Annoyingly annoying." Camila's stylist gives her face a dab of foundation as well.

"Annoyingly cute."

"Annoyingly not even."

"Annoyingly amazing."

"Annoying."

Lauren's budding friendship with Camila didn't stop steadily improving over the days. Although filled with bickering and rather violent slaps to the arm, they didn't feel awkward doing intimate scenes with each other because of it. It almost felt natural, sort of. Lauren liked working alongside Camila. She was a free, headstrong, passionate woman who was also warm and cute and—

"Cut!" Greg's voice shouts into the set and everything stops for a moment. Lauren is brought back to reality, her eyes widening when she is met with Camila's questioning but amused gaze in front of her. It is then that she realizes that they're still filming, and she might have just messed it all up.

"Ms. Jauregui, I really like how you're getting into Cameron's character right now but the scene we're filming doesn't go like that," Greg tells her, Lauren blushing profusely at what has just happened. She's pretty sure she just spaced out while staring at Camila right then. That enough is very embarrassing to think about.

Lauren apologizes and asks for second take, but she surely doesn't get to avoid Camila's teasing afterwards. She nudges Lauren repeatedly while chanting something along the lines of "mesmerized" and "your beautiful eyes stare right into mine." Lauren just pushes her and tries to hide away her blush of embarrassment.

As the filming continued, Lauren seems to recognize that Camila is not any different from her character Laura. That's probably why they feel so comfortable while filming with each other because they're literally do not have to be someone else. Lauren is Lauren, and Camila is Camila.

But Lauren wonders if they are still Lauren and Camila whenever Laura and Cameron share particularly intimate stares with each other. They're not, right?

Greg pats her back after one day of successful filming, congratulating her about how raw her emotions looked like in her scene with Camila. He said, "At this point, you'd be winning the award for 'Best Sexual Tension.'" Lauren only gives him a scowl after that.

But it's okay. Lauren will pull through. There's more to the film than just Laura and Cameron. That's the fact.

Sort of. Because with every filming that passes by, the two characters only get more and more intimate scenes every time. It goes from really personal dates to holding hands to kisses on the cheek,  all of which makes Lauren blush all the time and only get another praise from Greg. She really doesn't want that praise. Because she doesn't control her blushing. She doesn't act it. She just does.

Now she's doing it again because her and Camila are cuddling too close on that same couch they spooned in before, and their faces are so damn  _close_. Camila smiles at her softly, and Lauren knows she's just being in character but she can't help herself. Not when Camila lifts a hand and stokes her cheek ever so softly that it makes her breath hitch in her throat. Not when Greg and Bradley are so happy that their acting is so superb it almost looks real. Not when Camila's eyes flicker down to her lips for a split second.

Lauren takes Normani and Dinah out drinking that night. She really doesn't know why. Maybe the shots she's downing would drown out the butterflies inside her stomach whenever she thinks of Camila.

"Hey! Slow down, Lauren," Dinah tells her as the green-eyed girl downs her tequila in one movement. "You're not trying to get yourself poisoned, are you?" she asks.

Lauren just mumbles something groggily as she motions for a bartender to give her another shot. She rests her head on the neon-lit table tiredly to try and stop her vision from wobbling. She just really needs to drink a lot tonight to stop herself from thinking about a certain costar and how that certain costar makes her feel. Lauren takes another shot, and another, and one more.

Dinah and Normani, as intoxicated as they are as well, are very concerned about their friend. At the rate she's going, Lauren will undoubtedly be throwing up all over the place in a while, not to mention the intense hangover she's going to have the day after. So they do the first thing they think of.

Call Camila.

It could have been anyone else, Lauren likes to think in retrospect when she's calmed down from it all. Maybe fate is just playing with her right now when she is too drunk to hear Dinah and Normani yelling over the club music to communicate on the phone with Camila. "She's on the verge of passing out!" Normani yells, Dinah holding the phone out for her. "Are you anywhere near LIV right now?"

"It's 2 in the morning, Normani," Camila says confusedly. "Why would I be anywhere near LIV?"

Dinah takes it from here. "Because your annoying costar is drunk off her ass and she isn't going to listen to neither Normani nor me!" she responds tipsily. "So you better get your ass here, Cabello!"

And Camila doesn't disappoint. Arriving in a cab not long after, she goes into the club as soon as she steps foot on the ground. She spots Lauren with her head still on the table and Dinah and Normani dancing on each other, clearly drunk, not so far away. It is a messy sight to see, actually.

"Girls," Camila says as she approaches them. They acknowledge her, barely, and even try to drag her into a three-way dance, but Camila is not about to go there. She pries herself away from them gently, deciding to do what she actually came here for.

Carrying Lauren to the cab all by herself was so much work. Camila remembers them almost toppling over many times on the way out. Lauren is incoherent and doesn't have control over her body anymore, so she is pretty heavy. Luckily, Camila gets a bouncer to help her carry Lauren to the taxi and as soon as the girl is settled in the backseat, the younger Latina tells the driver to hit the gas.

Lauren wakes up the next morning on her stomach with a mind-numbing headache and a view of a hotel room that doesn't look like hers at all, as well as bed sheets that don't smell like her at all. Confused by the setting, she tries to get up only to have a hand push her back down gently to stop her.

"You might not want to do that," someone's raspy morning voice says softly, and Lauren's eyes snap wide when she realizes who this voice belongs to.

"Camila?" she calls out in confusion, blinking to find the said girl next to the bed in a bathrobe and wet hair with a smile on her bare face. Damn it. Lauren's heart palpitates at the girl's pure beauty. She's still so beautiful even right now. "What are... where am I?" the green-eyed girl asks in a hoarse voice.

"Dinah and Normani called me last night," Camila tries to explain as she grabs a glass of water from a table and hands it to Lauren. "To get you out of the club." She chuckles as she takes two tablets of aspirin and hands it again to Lauren. The girl thanks her before taking the tablets and drinking the water. "So you're in my hotel room."

She doesn't have recollection of what happened at all. She only remembers going to the club so she won't be able to think about the same girl who is staring at her with a smile next to the bed she's in, looking as gorgeous as ever while just getting out of the shower. Lauren rubs her eyes as she feels her ears warm up now.

"Oh, and... I hope you don't mind, but I changed your clothes while you were passed out," Camila says as she takes the glass from Lauren's hand. "You kind of puked all over it. You're wearing one of my larger clothes right now."

What?

Lauren's face bursts with so much color right now, realizing that, indeed, she is wearing new clothes that don't look like hers. How can Camila say that to her with so much nonchalance? Like it is something so casual between them? Here she is, blushing her face off because of the fact that Camila has seen her in only her undergarments while changing her clothes, and the girl is so calm about it.

(Not that she is complaining, but.)

They take the day off from filming after that, Lauren calling in from her hotel room as soon as she gets there to say that she is suffering a very bad hangover. Normani and Dinah are apparently in the same state since they aren't making a ruckus in Lauren's room at a day off like this. Lauren thinks to herself miserably on her hotel bed that afternoon that her plan of clubbing to get her mind off Camila only backfired on her.

It backfired on her greatly.

The next day they come back for filming, Lauren is more than shocked in her boots that Normani and Dinah have somehow become a thing.

Yes, like  _a thing_.

"Why did no one inform me of this LGBT content?" Lauren asks confusedly in the styling room as she gives the two girls sitting on the couch a certain look. Normani and Dinah look like deers caught in headlights, awkwardly avoiding the green-eyed girl's gaze. Camila just sits on her styling chair and giggles amusedly, listening in on the conversation.

"Hmm?" Lauren hums expectantly, hands on her waist. Truth be told, she's not angry. She's actually overjoyed that it is even happening. She's always liked the idea of Normani and Dinah together.

"It's because we didn't know," Normani answers in a small voice. "Not until that night."

Dinah just nods next to her. Lauren kinks an eyebrow. She found out that the two were up to something when she accidentally walked in on their very serious talk behind the set, and the very noticeable hickey on Normani's neck. Nonetheless, Lauren is very happy that the two are actually a thing. Who else is better for Normani and Dinah than Normani and Dinah themselves?

Lauren just chuckles to herself in amusement, shaking her head as she leaves the two to sit on her styling chair just next to Camila. Shiela comes not long after, starting to work on her makeup as soon as possible. Lauren watches Normani and Dinah from her mirror shyly cuddle up to each other as soon as the attention is pulled away from them, before letting her eyes drift off to Camila's mirror. She looks, only to find the girl looking right back at her.

Camila is about to send her a smile in greeting but Lauren pulls her eyes away as quick as they even land on her face. She is not about to do that. She is not about to fall deeper into that hole.

But of course, things always have to go against her wishes, because a week after that day they're both informed that they will be filming the first kissing scene between Cameron and Laura on Monday.

Lauren nearly falls off her bed when she reads the script the night before while munching on an apple. The apple does fall off the bed though but she is fortunately still on it, holding the script in her shaky hands and looking at it with wide eyes. Because a kissing scene? With Camila? With...  _Camila_?

Lauren is the one who started this movie and now she's the one who wants to back out of it. How can you begin to fathom the idea of kissing Camila? Even if it's just for the sole reason that the movie needs a love line. Even if it's not even related to feelings and just for the purpose of  _work_.

The green-eyed actress walks into the set that night with a particularly scared look in her eyes and a tense body. She jumps almost every time someone lays a hand on her or talks to her. She sees the signs now. She knows how this is going. Lauren has a crush on Camila. There is no other way to it than this one fact. She is really, really crushing on Camila.

And to be told that you're going to be kissing your crush in front of a camera for the whole world to see one day? That's freaking scary. Lauren shudders to herself as she thinks about it while standing behind the set with a Starbucks frappucino in hand.

"Hey."

And now they decide to do this as well. The gods must be crazy.

Camila falls next to her with a frappe cup of her own in her hands, sucking on the straw and taking a small sip. Lauren acknowledges her presence but doesn't look at her.

"Hello," she greets back. The silence between them is so loud it's deafening. Lauren actually thinks Camila has the same train of thought as her about this whole kissing scene. She knows the other girl does.

"Feeling nervous today?" Camila asks with a small chuckle, letting her straw rest on her bottom lip softly. Lauren feels awkward now, possibly more awkward, as she lets out a strained chuckle in response and shrugs.

"It could be worse," she says with a soft sigh.

"You're right."

Greg calls for them to get on the set in five seconds so they can start filming, so Lauren gives her cup to her assistant and starts to make her way to her spot. But not before Camila calls out to her in a small voice, "Hey, Lauren?"

The other girl looks back curiously. "Yes?" she asks her.

Camila suddenly looks small in her spot, head hung low while fiddling with her fingers, and Lauren actually thinks she's never seen the usually confident and charming girl like this before she shakes her head and gives her a smile. "Don't enjoy it too much," she tells Lauren with a smirk as she walks past her. Just like that, with Lauren rolling her eyes, Camila Cabello is back.

What did Camila mean by not enjoying it too much? Lauren frowns to herself as they step into the scene as she rethinks the advice again and again. Was she referring to the kiss? Why would Lauren enjoy it too much? Who is Camila to say that to her? Is she someone special that she could make Lauren enjoy it too much?

Lauren is apparently thinking too much that she misses the cue. The next thing she knows, Camila is leaning in ever so slowly and she is frozen in her place, watching as the girl gets closer and closer with her hand on her face and Lauren barely gets to respond to the feeling of Camila's lips against hers because they are so soft and full and—

"Cut!" Greg yells into the scene, making Lauren jump on her spot and break her kiss with Camila in an instant. The smaller girl's hand is still on her face as they pull back from each other, Lauren still petrified from how fast and overwhelming everything has been in those few seconds. She just kissed Camila. She just  _really_  kissed Camila. And she ruined it.

"Lauren, I really like the shock effect but you can't stand still for more than two seconds and not reciprocate," Greg tells her from his director's seat. "We have to do a retake," he announces and makes Lauren's eyes widen. A retake? Kissing Camila again? As nice as Camila's lips feel against hers, she can't do it again. Her heart was about to combust earlier and now they have to do it again?

"Lauren," Camila says this time, bringing her out of her inner crisis. Lauren doesn't even know when the girl had held her hand but she is holding it right now, giving it a gentle squeeze. Lauren looks at her confusedly, still quite shaken up, before Camila gives her a reassuring smile. "Relax," she tells her. "I've got you."

So Lauren does and lets Camila take the reins. She has read the script a thousand times beforehand but for some reason, having Camila so close to her makes her mind go completely blank every time. She has kissed different actors and actresses so easily before. What makes this any different?

She messes it up again, and again, and another time, and she is so fucking fed up with how her heart flutters wildly every time they kiss but she can't stop herself from doing the wrong thing.

She can feel Camila sigh against her lips after every take, and Lauren actually feels like the girl is getting frustrated with her. Camila notices this and only gives her a reassuring smile, as if she's trying to tell her otherwise. It takes them about ten takes, before Lauren finally throws away all her preconceptions and just gives it her all, grabbing Camila's face with both hands and crashing their lips together. Go big or go home, that's what it is. Apparently it works because after a quite heated kiss between the two, Greg yells cut and calls it a day.

They don't even give Camila or Lauren time to recover because once they end the filming, everyone is already walking away from the set, leaving the two costars to themselves in a mess of confused thoughts and questions. Awkwardly, at that.

Normani and Dinah are still around but they are far too deep in their own love cloud that they don't even acknowledge Camila and Lauren's presence. Lauren tries not to barf at the sight of the two being lovebirds in front of them. But most of all, she tries to keep sane after everything that has just happened in that short amount of time they spent filming. Especially when Camila is still standing beside her, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"So," Camila starts almost awkwardly; unusual for someone like her. The sentence lingers in the air unfinished, and Lauren actually grimaces at how tensed this interaction is before she finally finds it in herself to suggest something to the other girl: walking her back to her hotel room.

"You know you didn't have to," Camila says as soon as they walk down the corridor to the girl's hotel room.

"Yeah, well." Lauren rubs the back of her neck shyly. "Normani and Dinah were out for the day and I wanted to talk to you."

Camila opens the door with her card and then turns to Lauren with a questioning glance. "About what?" she asks curiously, eyes studying the girl before her who seems to be looking at anywhere but her.

"About what happened today," Lauren states, the words evoking conflicting feelings inside of her as soon as they get out of her mouth.

Camila only stares at her, and then tilts her head afterwards. "There's nothing to talk about, Lauren," she tells her softly, a small smile gracing her lips. "We're actresses. It happens."

"Yeah, but—"

"But?" Camila raises an eyebrow at her, hand on her door and halfway in the frame already as she stares Lauren down.

Lauren, whose cheeks are a tinge of pink now as she stands there tensely. Camila is right. It's nothing new for them both. They literally kiss a new pair of lips in every other movie, but why is Lauren still unsettled about this?

Right, because Lauren has a crush on Camila.

"You know what?" Lauren laughs to herself as she waves her hand dismissively in the air. "Forget about it. It's nothing. Goodnight, Camila," she says, giving the girl a smile and starting to turn around in retreat. Walking Camila back to her hotel room and expecting to get a meaningful conversation out of her was probably one of Lauren Jauregui's dumbest moves.

She is about to leave and run her way down to the elevator in shame when she hears Camila's soft sigh and feels a hand wrap around her wrist.

"Jesus, Lauren, if you wanted to talk about the kiss then you should've just said so," the girl says with a hint of frustration in her voice before she spins Lauren back around and holds her on place right in front of her open hotel room door. Lauren is suddenly petrified, looking into Camila's eyes and seeing that they're also looking straight back at her searchingly. Camila's hand is still on her wrist, planted firmly, while her eyes look at hers so intensely she feels like she could drown in that puddle of brown.

"The— the what?" Lauren stammers, blushing profusely now.

"Did you not want to talk about the kiss?" Camila prompts her with a raised brow.

"I—I, um..." the green-eyed girl just stutters out nervously, becoming more and more restless in this situation. "I just... I was going to say... um—"

"Just say it, Lauren." Camila presses with frustration in her voice, and the sound of it is so intimidating and domineering that Lauren cowers and does as told almost in an instant.

She looks at Camila, tense shoulders going slump, and just releases everything that's been holding her back.

"I want to kiss you again."

And Lauren wanted nothing more than to throw herself off a cliff right there and then because of how stupid she is for even saying that until Camila's grip on her wrist softens as well as her facial expression.

"Then you should've just asked," she sighs out ever so softly Lauren almost didn't catch it, and the next thing she knows... she is kissing Camila Cabello again. This time, this time it is not because they are filming a kissing scene. Camila Cabello herself is pulling Lauren to crash their lips together in a rough kiss as if she's been deprived of such luxury for so long.

Not Camila, the Latina actress who plays her role in Lauren's movie, but Camila, whose lips are pressed willingly against hers and whose hands are pulling her blindly to come inside her hotel room. Lauren's mind is reeling; she barely has time to reciprocate the kiss because Camila is relentless. The girl kicks the door close as soon as they are in, her hands finding their way into Lauren's hair and tugging on the strands in a slightly needy fashion.

"Camila... I—" Lauren tries to say in between kisses while holding the girl by the waist. Camila only presses their bodies closer together and continues to kiss her.

"Lauren, shut up," she orders the girl in a low voice.

Lauren has never obeyed so quickly in her entire life.

And that's how Lauren manages to find herself in Camila's hotel room almost every evening after set for the rest of the remaining weeks of filming. They would be cuddled up to each other on the bed and making out for hours; to the point that Lauren actually forgets what breathing feels like. Camila is more than happy to have such an effect on her, a proud smile gracing her swollen lips whenever they'd pull back from each other and Lauren would gasp for air.

As if the mere fact of kissing Camila is not enough to knock the air out of her lungs, the girl also knows how to kiss so well that it makes Lauren feel like a fish out of water all the time.

"You're incredible," Lauren breathes out, and Camila would just smile as she grabs her by the shirt and presses their lips together again.

They don't talk about it during filming. They don't do it aside from their shared nights on either one's hotel rooms. They carry on with their normal routines, and if it weren't for the surprising change of comfort and casualty in their intimate scenes, no one would probably suspect a thing.

"You've been doing exceptional work with Camila lately," Greg tells her after a specifically good day of filming. Said girl was on the other far end of the set, conversing animatedly with her stylist and Dinah at the same time. Lauren glances at the director who has approached her as she grabs her bag from her actor's chair.

"Well, that's a good thing," Lauren responds simply, trying not to swell with pride upon knowing that her intense make out sessions with Camila has not only benefited her game but also her acting record.

"Yeah," Greg agrees with a nod. "It's almost scary how natural you guys are at it. You sure you haven't been sneaking around to practice your kissing scenes?"

Lauren chokes on air and coughs out in shock at the man's words. She suddenly feels like a metaphorical spotlight has been casted on her, hands getting clammy like everyone is waiting for her tell-all answer. Luckily, Greg only finds this reaction amusing and gives her an approving pat on the back.

"Extend my praises to Camila and the whole cast. I'll be leaving early," he says and then makes his way to leave.

Lauren would find herself tangled with Camila's body later that night, her hand in the girl's hair as they lie in bed with their lips moving fluidly against each other.

"Hey," the green-eyed girl breathes out in the middle of their kisses, pulling back slightly to break it off. "Greg told me to tell you we did a good job today," Lauren decides to inform her with a smile which Camila returns happily.

"What can I say? We work well, Jauregui," she says with eyes glinting playfully at her, before she leans in to close the distance between their faces again. Lauren hums upon feeling Camila's soft lips on hers, not hesitating to reciprocate the kiss gladly.

"We work well, Cabello."


End file.
